NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- On vacation in England recently, I avoided Starbucks (SBUX), while the people I was visiting just as eagerly longed for it.
We were motivated by the same call, America.
Living here you can sometimes forget how big a deal this country is to the rest of the world, and how symbolic it remains of the good life. That's what Starbucks sells outside the United States -- not coffee, but a few minutes in America. Where the couches are comfortable and the WiFi is free.
This is especially true in markets like China, where the company will soon open its 1,000th store. As a local blog called The Beijinger put it, "Starbucks in China has never been about coffee." It's about creating a middle ground, an illusion of freedom to speak and equality of rank, in a country where that's very rare. In a way, Starbucks today occupies the position Coca-Cola (KO) did right after World War II. It's a symbol of America's best qualities and its relative safety. A Coke was uniformity in a bottle, a refreshing drink that wouldn't kill you. Starbucks is a place where you can feel safe, equal and free. Both are illusions, but American business thrives on illusions. Movies are illusions, advertisements are illusions. Illusions have immense power in places where reality feels dismal. This gives Starbucks tremendous room to grow, with expanding margins, because price is not the issue. The company now brings about 10 cents on every dollar to the net income line, after taxes, and unlike some other companies its tax bill is rather hefty, about 32%. Which brings up another point about Starbucks. The image it projects is the more benign, liberal face of America. Its request that customers leave their guns at home is a signal to international markets that don't understand America's current gun addiction, a sign Starbucks doesn't either. CEO Howard Schultz also cultivates an image that reminds me of the legendary Coca-Cola CEO Robert Woodruff. He gives lip service to environmental causes and his endorsements to President Obama and ObamaCare. But he's also a deficit scourge, having supported an anti-gridlock group called "No Labels" back in 2011.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Mega Copper Ltd (MCU.V)
Mega Copper Ltd., an exploration stage company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties primarily located in British Columbia, Canada. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Vancouver, Canada.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Metalico Inc(MEA)
Metalico, Inc., through its subsidiaries, engages in scrap metal recycling, platinum group and minor metals recycling, and lead metal products fabrication activities primarily in the United States. Its Scrap Metal Recycling segment collects industrial and obsolete ferrous and non-ferrous scrap metals; processes into reusable forms; and supplies the recycled metals to electric arc furnace mills, integrated steel mills, foundries, secondary smelters, aluminum recyclers, and metal brokers, as well as to exporters and international brokers. This segment offers ferrous products, which include sheared, bundled, and shredded scrap metal and other scrap metals, such as plate and structural, turnings, busheling, and broken cast iron; and sorts, processes, and packages non-ferrous metals, which include aluminum, copper, stainless steel, brass, nickel-based alloys, and high-temperature alloys for resale. The company?s PGM and Minor Metals Recycling segment recycles platinum group me tals, including platinum, palladium, and rhodium, from the substrate material retrieved from catalytic converters. Its Lead Fabricating segment manufactures and sells sheet lead, shot, extruded strip lead, machined lead parts, and cast lead, as well as other lead products, including roof flashings, lead wool, anodes, and babbitt. This segment sells its products to distributors, wholesalers, the plumbing and building trades, equipment manufacturers, and other consumers in various industries, such as roofing, plumbing, radiation shielding for pharmaceutical and power generation, electronic solders, ammunition, and automotive industries, as well as to the Department of Defense contractors. Metalico, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in Cranford, New Jersey.
Top Medical Companies To Invest In Right Now: Nortech Systems Incorporated(NSYS)
Nortech Systems Incorporated operates as a contract manufacturing company. It manufactures wire harness cable and printed circuit board assemblies, electronic sub-assemblies, higher level assemblies, and complete devices. The company also provides value added services and technical support, including design, testing, prototyping, and supply chain management; and repair services on circuit boards used in machines in the medical industry. In addition, it engages in the design, manufacture, and post-production service of electronic and electromechanical medical devices for diagnostic, analytical, and other life-science applications. Nortech Systems Incorporated serves various industries that include aerospace and defense; medical; and the industrial markets, which include industrial equipment, transportation, vision, agriculture, and oil and gas. The company markets its products through sales force and independent manufacturers? representatives. Nortech Systems Incorporated was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Wayzata, Minnesota.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By James E. Brumley]
In a perfect world stocks would move in predictable, manageable ways. We don't live - nor do we trade in - a perfect world. In the real world we have to adapt to and deal with the curve balls the market throws us, and there are no two stocks that illustrate that point better than Document Security Systems, Inc. (NYSEMKT:DSS) and Nortech Systems Incorporated (NASDAQ:NSYS) to today. While both NSYS and DSS are up today, one's overbought and ripe for a pullback, while the other is likely at the beginning of a trade-worthy rally.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Source Exploration Corp (SOP.V)
Source Exploration Corp., a junior exploration and development company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, and development of mineral properties. It explores for gold, silver, and copper in mining districts in Mexico. The company holds interest in the Las Minas project that includes 5 mineral concessions covering an area of approximately 1,271 hectares in the north-central region of the state of Veracruz; and the San Valentin concession located in the state of Veracruz. Source Exploration Corp. was founded in 2006 and is headquartered in Thunder Bay, Canada.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Oncolytics Biotech Com Npv (ONC.TO)
Oncolytics Biotech Inc., a biotechnology company, focuses on the development of oncolytic viruses as potential cancers therapeutics. The company develops REOLYSIN, a human cancer therapeutic. Its clinical program includes various human trials comprising a Phase III clinical trial in head and neck cancers using REOLYSIN, its proprietary formulation of the human reovirus. Oncolytics Biotech Inc. was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Comerica Inc (CMA)
Comerica Incorporated (Comerica) is a financial services company. Comercia operates in four segments: the Business Bank, the Retail Bank, Wealth Management and the Finance Division. As of December 31, 2011, Comerica owned two active banking and 49 non-banking subsidiaries. The Company's Business Bank meets the needs of middle market businesses, multinational corporations and governmental entities by offering products and services, including commercial loans and lines of credit, deposits, cash management, capital market products, international trade finance, letters of credit, foreign exchange management services and loan syndication services. On July 28, 2011, Comerica acquired Sterling Bancshares, Inc. (Sterling), a bank holding company.
The Company's Retail Bank includes small business banking and personal financial services, consisting of consumer lending, consumer deposit gathering and mortgage loan origination. In addition to a range of financial services provided to small business customers, this business segment offers a range of consumer products, including deposit accounts, installment loans, credit cards, student loans, home equity lines of credit and residential mortgage loans.
Wealth Management offers products and services consisting of fiduciary services, private banking, retirement services, investment management and advisory services, investment banking and brokerage services. This business segment also offers the sale of annuity products, as well as life, disability and long-term care insurance products. The Finance segment includes Comerica�� securities portfolio and asset and liability management activities. This segment is engaged in managing Comerica�� funding, liquidity and capital needs, performing interest sensitivity analysis and executing strategies to manage Comerica�� exposure to liquidity, interest rate risk and foreign exchange risk.
The Other category includes discontinued operations, the income and expense impact of equity an! d cash, tax benefits not assigned to specific business segments and miscellaneous other expenses of a corporate nature. In addition, Comerica delivers financial services in its four markets: Midwest, Western, Texas and Florida. The Midwest market consists of Michigan, Ohio and Illinois. The Western market consists of the states of California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Washington. California operations represent the the Western market. The Texas and Florida markets consist of the states of Texas and Florida, respectively. Other Markets include businesses with a national perspective, Comerica�� investment management and trust alliance businesses, as well as activities in all other markets, in which Comerica has operations, except for the International market. The International market represents the activities of Comerica�� international finance division, which provides banking services to foreign-owned, North American-based companies and to international operations of North American-based companies.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Jim Jubak]
Today's financial service sector reports include regionals Sun Trust Bank (STI) and Comerica (CMA), plus Wall Street's Morgan Stanley (MS).
Full disclosure: I don't own shares of any of the companies mentioned in this post in my personal portfolio. When in 2010 I started the mutual fund I manage, Jubak Global Equity Fund, I liquidated all my individual stock holdings and put the money into the fund. The fund may or may not now own positions in any stock mentioned in this post. The fund did not own shares of any stock mentioned in this post as of the end of December. For a full list of the stocks in the fund, see the fund's portfolio here. For more of Jim's posts and picks check out his free site here or his subscription site here.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Engro Corporation Limited (S44.SI)
EnGro Corporation Limited engages in the manufacture and sale of cement and building materials, and specialty polymers primarily in Singapore, Malaysia, and the People�s Republic of China. The company offers ground granulated blast furnace slag under the VCEM brand; ordinary Portland cement; Portland blast furnace cement; high slag blast furnace cement; ready-mixed concrete; dry mix; and construction chemicals. It also provides thermosetting synthetic resin and plastic materials used in various markets and application, including automotives, electrical and electronics, construction and civil engineering, household, and consumer and packaging; and carbon consultancy services. In addition, the company is involved in the provision and supply of workers; and in trading equity securities, and holding investments in venture capital funds and equity securities of various industries, such as information technology, wireless communications, software, semiconductors, medical device s and equipment, pharmaceutical drug development, nanotechnology, and specialty chemicals and materials industries. The company was formerly known as SsangYong Cement (Singapore) Limited and changed its name to EnGro Corporation Limited in February 2005. EnGro Corporation Limited was founded in 1973 and is headquartered in Singapore.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Ridley Corporation Ltd(RIC.AX)
Ridley Corporation Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the production and marketing of stockfeed and animal feed supplements to primary producers and rural communities in Australasia. The company produces and markets stock and poultry feeds, aqua feeds, animal protein meals, vitamin and mineral supplements, and rural merchandise under the Barastoc, Rumevite, Cobber, and Ridley Aqua-Feed brand names. It also produces and refines solar salt. The company markets salt under the Mermaid, Kooka, Crown, and Saxa brand names. It serves food producers in the beef, dairy, poultry, pig, sheep, and aquaculture industries; producers in the laboratory animals, and the equine and canines in the recreational sector; and consumer retail, water treatment, and food manufacturing industries, as well as the pool sector. The company was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Australia.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Terra Energy Corp(TT.TO)
Terra Energy Corp., a junior exploration and production company, engages in the exploration, development, and production of petroleum and natural gas in Western Canada. Its operations are primarily located in northeastern British Columbia and the Peace River Arch region of Alberta. As of December 31, 2011, the company had interests in 117 net producing and 280 net non-producing oil, natural gas, and other wells. Terra Energy Corp. is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Protective Life Corporation(PL)
Protective Life Corporation and its subsidiaries engage in the production, distribution, and administration of insurance and investment products in the United States. Its Life Marketing segment markets universal life, variable universal life, level premium term insurance, and bank-owned life insurance products primarily through a network of independent insurance agents and brokers, stockbrokers, and independent marketing organizations. The company?s Acquisitions segment focuses on acquiring, converting, and servicing life insurance policies and annuity products sold to individuals, which are acquired from other companies. Its Annuities segment markets variable annuity products that offer the policyholder the opportunity to invest in various investment accounts; and fixed annuity products, such as modified guaranteed annuities, single premium deferred annuities, single premium immediate annuities, and equity indexed annuities primarily through broker-dealers, financial ins titutions, and independent agents and brokers. The company?s Stable Value Products segment offers guaranteed funding agreements to special purpose entities; fixed and floating rate funding agreements directly to the trustees of municipal bond proceeds, institutional investors, bank trust departments, and money market funds; and guaranteed investment contracts to qualified retirement savings plans. Its Asset Protection segment primarily markets extended service contracts, and credit life and disability insurance to protect consumers? investments in automobiles, watercraft, and recreational vehicles; and markets a guaranteed asset protection product primarily through a national network of approximately 3,750 automobile, marine, and recreational vehicle dealers. The company was founded in 1907 and is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By David Sterman]
My favorite insurers: AIG (NYSE: AIG) (which I discussed a few months ago), Protective Life (NYSE: PL) and Reinsurance Group of America (NYSE: RGA).
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: CVR Partners LP(UAN)
CVR Partners, LP engages in the production of nitrogen fertilizers including ammonia and urea ammonium nitrate. The company was incorporated in 2007 and is based in Sugar Land, Texas. CVR Partners, LP operates as a subsidiary of CVR Energy, Inc.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Alex Planes]
That's not a good trend for nitrogen-using fertilizer makers. We've already seen some indication that steady profit growth may be ending, as fellow nitrogen fertilizer MLP CVR Partners (NYSE: UAN ) reported results virtually identical to last year's, instead of enjoying strong growth as it has in the past. The one thing in these companies' favor is the simple fact that farmers need fertilizer, now perhaps more than ever in light of persistent droughts that are making every alternative to watering more valuable. That can help maintain Terra's profitability in the face of rising input prices, but for how long? Farmers can only bend so far before their finances break.
- [By Maxx Chatsko]
Since many companies in the fertilizer industry are adored for their incredibly high payouts, and those payouts are dictated by the bottom line, investors have good reason to worry. The market has reacted by sending fertilizer stocks down in the first four months of 2013. Should you abandon ship in anticipation of deflating bottom lines and shrinking payouts? If you're looking for high payouts but are wary of rising natural gas prices, there is still one stock you can buy. CVR Partners (NYSE: UAN ) �produces high-priced nitrogen fertilizers without using�one iota of natural gas.
Top Industrial Disributor Companies To Watch In Right Now: Stereotaxis Inc.(STXS)
Stereotaxis, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets cardiology instrument control systems for use in a hospital?s interventional surgical suite or interventional lab for the treatment of arrhythmias and coronary artery diseases in the United States and internationally. The company provides Niobe system, which includes Niobe Magnetic Navigation System that navigates catheters, guidewires, and other delivery devices through complex paths in the blood vessels and chambers of the heart to carry out treatment; Navigant, a user interface or physician control center, which physicians use to visualize and track procedures and to provide instrument control commands that govern the motion of the working tip of the catheter, guidewire, or other interventional device; Cardiodrive, a catheter advancement system to remotely advance and retract the catheter in the patient?s heart. It also offers Odyssey enterprise solutions, which provides information solutions to manage, control, rec ord, and share procedures across networks; acquires remote view of the lab capturing synchronized procedure data for review of important events during cases; and review recorded cases and create snapshots following procedures for clinical reporting, auditing, and presentation. In addition, the company provides disposable interventional devices comprising automated catheters, coronary guidewires, and navigation and ablation systems. It markets its products through its direct sales force, distributors, and sales agents. The company was founded in 1990 and is headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri.
Advisors' Opinion:- [By Bryan Murphy]
Look out Intuitive Surgical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ISRG), and step aside BioTelemetry Inc. (NASDAQ:BEAT). There's a new cardiac name in town, and its name is Stereotaxis Inc. (NASDAQ:STXS). This small company's stock is soaring today on the heels of encouraging news, though the prompt for the stock's strength has been brewing for quite some time. This nudge for STXS, however, may well mean it has a lot more potential than ISRG or BEAT do for the foreseeable future.
- [By Roberto Pedone]
One under-$10 health care player that looks poised for a potentially large move higher is Stereotaxis (STXS), which designs, manufactures and markets an advanced cardiology instrument control system for use in a hospital's interventional surgical suite to enhance the treatment of arrhythmias and coronary artery disease. This stock has been on fire so far in 2013, with shares up big by 43%.
If you take a look at the chart for Stereotaxis, you'll notice that this stock has formed a major bottom pattern over the last three months, since this stock has found buying interest each time it has pulled back towards $3.50 and $3.10 a share. Buyers have stepped in at those levels and have not let the sellers pressure STXS lower. Shares of STXS are now starting to spike higher today right off its 50-day moving average of $3.59 a share. That spike is quickly pushing shares of STXS within range of triggering a big breakout trade above a key downtrend line.
Traders should now look for long-biased trades in STXS if it manages to break out above some near-term overhead resistance at $4 a share with high volume. Look for a sustained move or close above that level with volume that hits near or above its three-month average action of 1.98 million shares. If that breakout triggers soon, then STXS will set up to re-test or possibly take out its next major overhead resistance levels at $5 to $6.24 a share. Any high-volume move above $6.24 a share will then give STXS a chance to re-fill some of its previous gap down zone from August that started at $10 a share.
Traders can look to buy STXS off any weakness to anticipate that breakout and simply use a stop that sits right below those key support levels at $3.50 to $3.10 a share. One can also buy STXS off strength once it clears $4 a share with volume and then simply use a stop that sits a comfortable percentage from your entry point.
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